The Role of Mediation in Workplace
Mediation is a way to handle conflicts in which a neutral third party helps team members work out their differences. The goal is to ease workplace tensions before they become something worse. It is different from normative and grievance procedures because it is less formal and gives people more freedom. Workplace dispute mediation can be a valuable technique for managers to learn, even though big brawls probably don't happen very often in teams, and most people handle differences of opinion in a civilized manner on their own. It can give them the confidence and skills they need to handle deeper conflicts in their teams when they arise. What Situations Benefit from Mediation? When both parties agree, mediation can be used at any stage of a conflict to resolve the situation without further formal proceedings. The longer a conflict continues, the more likely it is that connections will disintegrate or that formal complaints will be raised; therefore, mediation is most effective when